We were delighted to be back at Keys Park for the first time this year and the girls certainly made it count with an excellent 4–2 victory over Port Vale.
We started the game really brightly and it was great to have a full-strength squad available. There was a real lift around the group with Leigh Dugmore returning from injury, along with Jess Booker, plus two new additions, Maisy Sinclair and Hope Busher, joining us on dual registration from Sporting Khalsa. That competition and energy showed from the first whistle.
We took a deserved lead through an absolute rocket from Em North, a fantastic strike that set the tone and saw us looking very comfortable early on. Port Vale then adjusted their shape, which caused us a few problems defensively and we struggled at times to regain control. A spell of defensive errors led to a penalty being awarded, which Vale converted to make it 1–1 going into half-time.
At the break we implemented a few changes and asked the girls to be much more aggressive in our press. Full credit to them – the work rate they showed on such a big pitch at Keys Park was outstanding. That intensity really paid off as we began to dominate the game.
On her comeback, Leigh Dugmore was outstanding, scoring a hat-trick, including a penalty. She also hit the bar from a free kick and on another day could quite easily have had four. We also rattled the post at another point, which showed the attacking threat we produced – something we’ve been looking to improve on and have perhaps lacked in recent weeks.
Overall, it was a top all-round performance and one we’re absolutely delighted with. It’s the level we’ve always known these girls are capable of producing. Now the challenge is consistency as we move into the second half of the season – maintaining this form and seeing just how high we can finish in the league.
